With July coming to a close and several teams still in the playoff hunt, there are several buyers bidding for the same players. A major seller this season appears to be the Philadelphia Phillies, and on Monday 10 scouts, including the Pittsburgh Pirates were in attendance to check out Antonio Bastardo among others.

After a disappointing 2013 season, Bastardo has been quite good for the Phillies. He has a 3.30 ERA and 3.10 FIP in 43.2 innings. In his six-year major league career, Bastardo carries a 3.58 ERA and 3.35 FIP.

Left-handed batters are hitting just .143 with a .630 OPS against Bastardo this season. Right-handed hitters are batting .163 with a .513 OPS.

Bastardo is more likely to be moved than Cliff Lee or Jonathan Papelbon. He doesn’t have a big contract (he’s on a one-year, $2 million deal) or a no-trade clause.

The left-handed reliever would be a good addition to the Pirates’ bullpen, which could benefit from another solid arm as they make their push for the post season. A relief pitcher like Bastardo comes cheaper than some of the other big name pitchers. He wouldn’t cost a top prospect like Josh Bell or Nick Kingham but likely a mid-level prospect.

He is arbitration eligible this offseason, but the Pirates aren’t likely to spend three to four million for a relief pitcher.

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About Shanna Rose

Shanna Rose is a current West Virginia University student majoring in Journalism and minoring in Sports Communication. Writing for Global Basketball is her first writing assignment . Shanna has a passion for baseball, along with hockey, basketball, and football.
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